# Fidel Castro Steps down!



## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

*This newscast is minutes old. Castro stepped down from his position in Cuba. Castro is out of power. What do you think that this means for Cuba. What does this mean for age old cigar legislation? 
*
Discuss!


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## Shelby07 (May 1, 2007)

It means his brother Raoul will probably be installed permanently come Sunday.

Not much to say just yet -- Kerry said it's amazing that the bad policy which hasn't worked for 50 years is still here (wasn't he supposed to be the second coming of JFK?) Bush said he hopes this will help democracy start to spread (fat chance.) In other words, nobody's sayin' anything.

I don't see this as being significant and I don't see anything changing soon. The US Cuban population is going to have to weigh in before anyone here does anything.

And we all know what you mean, but just to be clear, it isn't "cigar legislation." It's a trade embargo.


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## brianhewitt (Jul 10, 2007)

One down, one to go. And then we might be talkin' about Cuban smokes in the U.S. (Legally, that is.)


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## Shelby07 (May 1, 2007)

Just to move this to where I think Matt wanted to go with it, it's generally felt that the lifting of the trade embargo will be bad for Cuban cigar quality. Once the US market opens up there will be much more counterfeiting than there is now and the quality of the authorized Cuban cigars will suffer as they struggle to increase production to satisfy the increased demand. There is already rumor (substantiated by some in the know) that Cuba is importing tobacco from other countries to keep up with the current demand.


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## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

brianhewitt said:


> One down, one to go. And then we might be talkin' about Cuban smokes in the U.S. (Legally, that is.)


*
that is about what i am talking about! but i think within the transition period we are going to see an amazing amount of crud coming out of havana. there will be more fakes than you can shake a bolivar at. also prices will be incredibly high for some time. i could see an end to cuban trade embargo happening, but it won't be a functional system for cigars until a few years after. once the cuban cigar novelty fades will be a great time to grab a box of cohibas.*


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## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

Shelby07 said:


> Just to move this to where I think Matt wanted to go with it, it's generally felt that the lifting of the trade embargo will be bad for Cuban cigar quality. Once the US market opens up there will be much more counterfeiting than there is now and the quality of the authorized Cuban cigars will suffer as they struggle to increase production to satisfy the increased demand. There is already rumor (substantiated by some in the know) that Cuba is importing tobacco from other countries to keep up with the current demand.


*
read my post bro. ditto. i made mine at the same time. great minds think alike!*


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## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

*this would cause the biggest cigar boom the states have ever seen!*


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## leafandale (Jan 18, 2008)

There are other manufacturers, rumor has it, that already have cuban tobacco in storage waiting for the time the embargo is lifted. That means you'll see "cuban blends" of some of your favorite smokes in almost no time at all. It is illegal for the U.S., U.S. companies and it's citizens to trade with Cuba. But, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of cigar factories that are NOT owned by U.S entities. If you honestly think that they have not purchased ANY cuban tobacco at anytime in the years since the cigar boom started, then think again. When *AND IF* the trade embargo is lifted, you will be smoking cigars made with cuban tobacco (all or part) and they'll be banded with the most popular names in the cigar business today. JMHO.


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## nativetexan_1 (Jan 1, 2008)

The Cuban embargo was in place because of Fidel Castro. He's gone, the embargo was already under attack, there is no longer any reason for the embargo. I would expect the embargo (including importation of Cuban cigars) to be gone by the end of the year, maybe before election day.


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## Shelby07 (May 1, 2007)

nativetexan_1 said:


> The Cuban embargo was in place because of Fidel Castro. He's gone, the embargo was already under attack, there is no longer any reason for the embargo. I would expect the embargo (including importation of Cuban cigars) to be gone by the end of the year, maybe before election day.


Man, I don't know about that. There hasn't been a "reason" for the embargo for 50 years other than the human rights issue. But that is really a meaningless argument when you realize that other countries we trade with have a worse record of human rights abuse than Cuba.

I've posted my opinion before, but I'll put it here again... stay with me here.

Florida is split politically right down the middle and the way the state of Florida votes can determine a national election. Because the state is so equally divided, the Cuban-American population in Florida, which is very active during elections, has the potential to swing the state to one party or the other. Both the Republicans and Democrats know that if they piss off the Cuban-American population they can lose the entire state. Most every Cuban-American in Florida is either someone who fled from political oppression or is related to someone who did. They had to leave everything and everyone they loved behind, and they hate Castro and communism. Neither political party is going to be the one to lift the embargo if the Cuban-American population doesn't want it to happen. The risk of losing the state is too great.

With that said, I don't think that Fidel stepping down and his appointee being installed as President is going to make everything all better for those who had to flee their country and continue to see friends and relatives being oppressed. Raoul is reputed to be more oppressive than his brother. I really think it's going to depend on the Cuban American population and how they react to this, which so far today has been rather underwhelming.


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## brianhewitt (Jul 10, 2007)

nativetexan_1 said:


> The Cuban embargo was in place because of Fidel Castro. He's gone, the embargo was already under attack, there is no longer any reason for the embargo. I would expect the embargo (including importation of Cuban cigars) to be gone by the end of the year, maybe before election day.


_"...The US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said there were no plans to end the decades-old US trade embargo on Cuba." _(source article)

I sincerely doubt we'll see any change in the relations between the U.S. and Cuba any time soon, if for no other reason than it takes the U.S. government a long time to get anything done.


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## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

*great discussion boys!*


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## brianhewitt (Jul 10, 2007)

vicegrips.ceo. said:


> *great discussion boys!*


No problem. That'll be 5 Serie V's (or 10 El Cobres). Invoice to follow. :lol:


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## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

*i just realize that i doubled gatormans thread after writing it. sorry gator!*


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## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

brianhewitt said:


> No problem. That'll be 5 Serie V's (or 10 El Cobres). Invoice to follow. :lol:


*how about a philly blunt. haha*


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## brianhewitt (Jul 10, 2007)

vicegrips.ceo. said:


> *how about a philly blunt. haha*


Hold on- let me go "correct" my mailing address! Gotta make sure that goes to the right place. (Psst! Hey Stogie, what was your post office box number again? :lol: I'm sooo gonna get banned...)


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## vicegrips.ceo. (Dec 14, 2007)

brianhewitt said:


> Hold on- let me go "correct" my mailing address! Gotta make sure that goes to the right place. (Psst! Hey Stogie, what was your post office box number again? :lol: I'm sooo gonna get banned...)


*
you cant avoid this bomb...hahaha*


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## Rocky Rulz (Jan 5, 2008)

The blending would be the real market. I talked with Benji Menendez from Partagas fame, and he thinks the blending of those unique tobaccos will be good for everyone. He feels that if the embargo was lifted, alot of Exiled Cubans would want to legislate to have their lands and farms back. I would just like to see Castro on a slab.


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## jam (Dec 29, 2007)

I dont ever see the embargo lifted unless cuba becomes a full democracy, and thats not gonna happen with raul in his place, he is in the military very strong . now is the time the cuban masons in miami should show there power.


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## Sin-cl (Feb 9, 2008)

There was a discussion about this in class today. The embargo wasn't placed because Fidel Castro was in office per say, it is because of his ideology. With his brother in power now, who is said to be more pragmatic, the embargo is still going to be upheld. I hope things change for the better however, cuban smokes are...well they speak for themselves.


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